


He Aimed At The Sky

by livetoseeourglory



Category: Hamilton - Miranda
Genre: Everybody Lives, Gen, after the duel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-28
Updated: 2016-08-28
Packaged: 2018-08-11 12:36:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 759
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7892551
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/livetoseeourglory/pseuds/livetoseeourglory
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Burr yells wait before he fires. </p>
<p>Interspersed with lines from the musical, in reverse chronological order.</p>
            </blockquote>





	He Aimed At The Sky

_ He aimed his pistol at the sky– _

 

     “WAIT!” 

     Aaron froze, his finger already tensed around the trigger, the word a desperate yell. 

     The man before him had wide, panicked, terrified eyes. There were bags under them from lack of sleep, his face worn with worry lines and stretched thin from overwork. His hand was raised, perpendicular to the ground, ready to fire at the clouds. Burr slowly lowered his gun, finally seeing not a political enemy or a talkative, hot-headed revolutionary but a tired, scared man who had gone through enough grief in his life and didn't want to feel any more. 

 

_ Burr, my first friend, my enemy.  _

 

     Aaron walked slowly toward him. Their seconds watched, and the doctor turned, confused at having not heard a shot. Alexander was trembling slightly, the gun in his hand shaking. Aaron reached out, and Alexander tensed, but all he did was steady his friend’s hand.

     “This was Philip’s gun,” Alexander said quietly, half to himself as he lowered it. “I lent it to him for the duel with Eacker... This is the same spot where he did what I was going to do...” Aaron folded Alex’s fingers around the gun, and the former Secretary put the safety back on and tucked it back into his trousers. The Vice President did the same with his own gun. 

     “You were going to throw away your shot,” Aaron said quietly. 

     “Yes,” Alexander agreed, voice even softer. 

 

_ If I throw away my shot, is this how you’ll remember me? _

 

     “Why?”

     “I lost a son. We both lost our parents. You have lost your wife. I will not do that to your daughter.” 

 

_ I had only one thought before the slaughter: this man will not make an orphan of my daughter!  _

 

     “But more than that, you are my friend, Burr. The first one I ever made. I hate that politics got in the way of that. We have our disagreements, we always have, but we are more alike than we give ourselves credit for. We learn from each other, we have ambition, we love our families and our children. We have lost,” he added, his voice unsteady, “the people who meant the most to us. I will not shoot you. I can't.”

 

_ Most disputes die and no one shoots. _

 

     Aaron listened quietly as Hamilton spoke. What he said was true. 

     “You did spoil my position,” he murmured. He had not forgotten that. 

     “You're Vice President, Burr. Maybe you get to be the first Vice President to make it mean something. You learned how to chase what you want. Who said you have to stop now?” Hamilton had a way with words, always had, and now he gave Burr’s back to him. This was not lost on the Vice President, who gave a rueful smile. 

     “Can we agree that duels are dumb and immature?”

     “Sure. And I'm sure I will answer for my words, Burr. But right now, I don't care what time it is, I think we could both use a drink.” 

 

_ We rowed across the Hudson at dawn.  _

 

     The two men returned to New York together. The doctor and their seconds made their respective ways home, while Aaron and Alexander wandered the streets, looking for an open establishment, neutral ground. Finally they found an open inn. 

     The two headed inside in silence, sitting side by side at the bar. The barkeep poured them each a drink. Alexander stared at his beer for a long while, but Aaron took a long, deep swig from the tankard. Alexander swirled the liquid in his mug a moment before taking a swallow. It was probably the longest Aaron had heard him go without speaking. He stayed quiet, too, for another quarter of an hour. 

 

_ Your grievance is legitimate. _

 

     “I'm sorry.” The words were almost whispered. 

     “Me too,” Aaron replied. 

     “We let our tempers get ahead of us.”

     “We did.”

     “A mistake.”

     “Yes.” 

 

     Silence again. 

 

     “You didn't read everything on the list I sent, did you?” 

 

_ Sweet Jesus.  _

 

     “I thought my head would explode if I tried,” Burr replied. The ghost of what might have been a smile drifted across his face. “I tucked it away somewhere. For all I know, Theo found it and burned it.” To his credit, Hamilton looked affronted at that.

     “It was nearly fifty pages!”

     “Exactly. Good kindling.” Alexander opened and closed his mouth a few times, before a short laugh broke from him. Aaron chuckled softly in response. Their laughter rose, growing until the two were openly laughing, spent adrenaline spilling over into unbridled relief. 

 


End file.
